Some Say Going Public Could Expose Weaknesses That Others Could Exploit

Urban Outfitters Inc. hired Dawn-Marie Hutchinson last year to keep hackers out of its computers. If crooks were to get in, Ms. Hutchinson doesn't think the teen retailer should immediately tell the world.

"There is this crazy hysteria," about cyberattacks, says Ms. Hutchinson, Urban's head of information security. "Placing blame, it doesn't help anybody."